UN must be reformed: take away right of veto from aggressor, expand Security Council and introduce system of prevention of aggression, - Zelensky at UN Security Council. VIDEO
Speaking at a meeting of the UN Security Council on 20 September 2023, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky proposed a reform of the organisation that would take into account the realities of today.
According to Censor.NET, this was reported on Zelensky's Telegram.
The Ukrainian President noted: "We have to admit it: The organisation is in a dead end with regard to aggressions. Humanity no longer pins its hopes on the UN when it comes to protecting the sovereign borders of nations. But I would not be here today if Ukraine did not have proposals for solutions.
Everyone in the world can see what makes the UN dysfunctional. In this seat on the Security Council, which Russia occupies illegally through backroom manipulation after the collapse of the Soviet Union, are liars whose job is to justify the aggression and genocide that Russia is committing."
Zelenskyy stressed: "The veto in the hands of the aggressor is what has brought the UN to a standstill. No matter who you are, the existing UN system makes you still less than the veto, which is held by only a few and used by one - Russia - to the detriment of all other UN members.
Years of talks and projects on UN reform should become a process of UN reform. The use of the veto is what needs to be reformed, and this could be the key reform. The one that restores the power of the UN Charter. The veto should not serve as a weapon for those who are obsessed with hatred and war."
He continued: "The UN General Assembly should be given a real opportunity to override vetoes. This is the first necessary step. With a two-thirds majority, reflecting the will of the nations of Asia, Africa, Europe, both Americas and the Pacific - a global qualified majority - the veto should be realistically overridden, and such a General Assembly resolution should be binding on all Member States.
Second step. The UN Security Council must be fully accountable to the nations of the world. I welcome the proposals of various leaders to expand the representation of nations on the Security Council. The permanent membership of the Security Council must reflect the present.
The African Union should be here permanently. Asia deserves a larger permanent representation. Germany deserves a permanent seat on the Security Council. Latin America should be represented here - permanently. And the Pacific states".
"Participation and access to the work of the Security Council and its subsidiary bodies should be expanded for all members of the General Assembly who are not recognised as aggressors. At the same time, any participation of any member state of the Security Council should be suspended for the time when such a state is engaged in aggression against another nation in violation of the UN Charter.
Third step. We need a system of aggression prevention through early response to actions against the territorial integrity and sovereignty of states. This includes powerful sanctions against the aggressor. Anyone who wants to start a war must see, before making a fatal mistake, what they will lose if they do. The issue of preventive sanctions should be submitted to the UN Security Council automatically when any member of the General Assembly declares a threat of aggression," Zelenskyy summed up.
